83 - The Swamp

If there were a place Ari would find a monstergirl attuned to magic, it would be The Bewitching Swamp.

The Swamp wasn't part of the Golden Forest. It was a smaller, higher-level zone tucked a decent way to the north-east. It took some travel to reach, about an hour and a half steady trek. Expedition times would become more and more limiting as she outpaced the low-level zones scattering Molehill's direct surroundings.

There were mid-rank areas available for hunting near Molehill—and the dungeon was always an option—but not many right next to it, like the Forest. So it wouldn't be overly a problem. Just, the convenience of stepping out from the burrow and immediately being in suitable hunting grounds wouldn't last as they progressed.

Ari followed Lori's lead. Lori had a natural prowling fluidity, and a keen alertness, that made it easy to not bump into unwanted encounters. Though slower than traipsing through the forest without a care, Lori's careful pace meant they were able to save their energy. They made it through the Forest without getting pulled into any sticky, time-consuming fights. Which was good. They'd need all their reserves for the upcoming recruitment brawl.

The Bewitching Swamp wasn't popular with most adventurers. Magic-type monsters were more of a headache to fight than their straightforward counterparts, teeth and claws being more palatable than illusions or enchantments to most people.

And not just the monsters that lurked here, the environment itself was more treacherous—and more annoying. The Forest of the Golden Lake was popular with low ranks because of its relative safety and simplicity; the Swamp, on the other hand, was dangerous in an array of ways. Venomous snakes, frogs, and insects lurked around the thick foliage, and between twisted and gnarled trees. Mosquitoes flitted about, which Ari irritatedly swatted away.

She had dressed appropriately for the adventure: sturdy, waterproof boots for wading through the shallow ponds so common to the swamp, as well as pants and a long-sleeve shirt. It left her sweaty and overheating, but she was safe from the bugs, at least.

Even the swamp itself shimmered, vying to draw Ari's attention with arcane mirages. She knew she needed to ignore them, but the glimmers of light were unusually entrancing, almost forcing her to follow them, to see what treasure was hidden in the distance. A trap, of course. Even if Ari hadn't researched the swamp before-hand, she would've known it. But even so, the lights intrigued her.

Ari had a particular target in mind, setting off today. There were a whole smattering of monsters that would likely adopt a mage class on their transformation, but Ari's perusal of a monster compendium had led to her seeking out one in particular.

A slime.

Slimes were rather unpleasant creatures to fight. Physical attacks weren't much use against them, not with their shifting body and capacity to split into smaller slimes. Even so, they were one of the more popular monsters to seek. Slimes were one of the reasons adventurers came to the Swamp at all, which was an unpleasant adventuring zone by adventuring zone standards. The gel dropped by slimes were magical, a useful and highly versatile alchemy ingredient—which meant a lucrative hunting target.

Ari had other reasons for seeking out a slime. Not only because she thought there was high odds they'd be a mage, but because … well. A shapeshifter? A girl made of goo? How couldn't Ari be excited to see what shape that encounter took?

Though, it would be a tough fight. The Bewitching Swamp was still considered a low-level zone, but a step higher than The Forest of the Golden Lake. The area Ari had set up the burrow was a place meant for levels one to eight, while the swamp, for levels four to twelve—at least by Guild appraisals. They'd need to be careful not to bump into something too strong. On the outskirts of the swamp, the lower end of the level range would be more common, but even so, it was possible for something stronger to slink out and attack them. Like usual, there was a real threat lurking in the trees. Ari's lewd adventures wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. It was risky being out here.

Thankfully, finding a slime lake didn't take long. It took some exploring, but before she and Lori knew it, dark-green clumps of slime started clinging to rocks and tree trunks. They followed the signs to its den.

She and Lori peeked out from behind a tree, looking at the enormous clump of living, translucent slime. It breathed in a slow, steady rhythm, as if it were sleeping. They'd managed to sneak up without waking it.

Obviously, in monster-form, it wasn't particularly appealing … but Ari's heartbeat picked up at the imminent fight. A girl made from goo. Ari really couldn't wait.

"Level seven," Ari whispered. "Strong … but I think we can handle her."

Level seven was the highest Ari was willing to go. She was level five, and Lori level six. As a two on one, it should be doable. Still risky, but doable. Worst case, they could run away. Or, Ari supposed, actual worst case, they'd find out what happened when they lost an encounter. But she didn't think that would happen today. Level seven shouldn't be that bad. Ari had some emergency items to help her out, if it came to that. But it probably wouldn't. Ari's class made her able to 'fight above her level', plus she had Lori as backup.

"Ready?" Lori asked. Her cheeks were flushed in anticipation. It'd been some time since it'd been her and Ari out on an adventure. She was looking forward to some sticky indulgences, even if she wouldn't admit it.

Ari nodded, then started stripping her clothes off. She folded them and set them inside her backpack, then gave Lori an encouraging smile.

"Remember," Ari said. "Just hold off. Or if you can't … go on the offensive. Only one of us has to last longer than her."

Lori nodded.

The two of them set off for the hulking, gelatinous monster. Ari held a hand out, and with a thought—right as the creature's slime rippled, waking from its nap and turning toward them—activated [Transform].

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A/N: This is just a friendly reminder that if you feel inclined to support me, I have a pat - reon. You can read up to 20 chapters in advance. It's under the same username, 'blakebalatron'. Have a lovely day :)

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